teitnet gates



(No Model.)

P. T. GATES.

WASH BOARD.

N0..326,5541 Patented Sept. 22, 1885.

PETERS, Pholo-lillwlnpher. Vlnhinghm. o. a

NITED STATES PATENT Brion.

P. TENNEY GATES, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

WASH-BOARD.

4 5PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 326,554, dated September 22, 1885.

Application filed January 5, 1885. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, P. TENNEY GATES, of the city of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Wash-Boards; and I hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which-form a part of this specification.

This invention relates more particularly to an improvement in the construction of the rubbing or friction surface of a wash-board; and the several objects of the improvement are to construct the board in such manner that it shall be very strong and durable, shall be adapted to retain a considerable quantity of water in the recesses on the surface, and

shall be capable of being very cheaply manufactured, and another object of the improvement is to vary the degree of roughness on difi'erent parts of the surface, so that the degree of friction to which the clothes are subjected may be varied by rubbing them on different parts of the board.

The essential and distinguishing feature of my invention consists in a board composed of a series of parallel slats and a number of series of wire strands running at right angles to the slats, and each series passed alternately over and under the same, thereby forming a number of alternate raised and depressed surfaces. Said series may be varied in size on different parts of the board, so as to impart more or less friction at pleasure, all of which is hereinafter particularly set forth and described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a plan view of my improved washboard. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same on the line 00 a2, and Figs. 3, 4., and 5 are details hereinafter referred to and explained.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the several figures.

A A represent the side frames, B the top rail, and O G are cross-bars.

D is a recess for holding soap, which latter rests on the cross-rail O, which is let into the side pieces, A A, at each end. These parts may be of any suitable construction, and do not form part of my present invention.

F represents my improved rubbingboard, which is let into and held in the frame by a, arranged side by side parallel with each other, and which may be of wood or other suitable material, and of any suitable form in cross-section. Preferably I make them of hard wood and in the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2; but they may be of thick wire or of metal tubing, if desired.

b b b are series of parallel wires running at right angles to the slats a, and passed alternately over and under said slats, so as to form a number of alternating raised and depressed surfaces, which constitute the friction-surface and tend to retain the water upon the surface of the board,and thereby expedite the process of cleansing. By arranging these series in larger or smaller numbers of wires, the surface is made rougher or smoother. In the drawings I have shown them as diminishing in size from, the side A to the side A, the portion nearest A being calculated to impart the greater degree of friction. They may, however, be made uniform in size throughout.

.When made as shown, if the operator finds it convenient to have the rough portion on that side of the board previously occupied by the smoother portion, it is only necessary to turn the board over and thus reverse their relative positions. The board may also, if desired, be turned so that one side shall form the top and so that the clothes may be rubbed lengthwise of the slats. 1

The wire used is galvanized either before or after being applied; or, in other words, ordinary wire may be used and the whole board galvanized after said wire has been applied to the slats.

A convenient mode of manufacturing this rubbing-board is to weave it in a manner similar to that in which wire-cloth is woven, the wires 12 forming the warp and the slats the weft. In this way it may be made in a continuous web, but divided into a number of separate lengths, each of the proper size to convenient means of attachment to the frame board having a rubbing'surface made of wire 25 by securing them in grooves cut in the crossbars 0 and 0', made to receive them.

If desired, the slats a may be made circular in cross-section, as shown in Fig. 4, in which they are represented as being of metal tubing; or they may be made rhomboid'al in cross section, as in Fig. 5, so as to present a variety of projecting angles on the rubbing-surface.

A board constructed as above described is very strong and durable and presents a series of depressions. on its surface which retain a large quantity of water, by which the clothes are saturated while being rubbed uponthe 1 board, and by means of which the cleansing process is accelerated.

I am aware that Wash'boards' have been made havinga seriesof slats or bars: partially or wholly covered with sheet metal, and also that wirecloth has been used incombinati'on with. slats grooved so-as to form, alternate surfaces of wood and wire netting, and I do not claim any of such constructions, but hereby disclaim the same. Neither dol claim awashnetting laid and secured upon a rigid back. Such construction provides but one rubbingsurface, whereas in my wash-board either the 'front or the back maybe used with equal efiect, and rubbing-surfaces are provided on both.

What I claim as my invention is 1. A wash-board composed of a series of parallel slats, a a, and a number of series of .wires, 1; b, passed alternately over and under said slats at right angles thereto, as shown and described.

2. In awash-board, a rubbing-surface composed of a series of parallel slats, a a, and a number of series of Wires, b b, said series passed alternately over and under the slats at right anglesthereto and atvarying distances apart, as and for the purpose set forth P. TENNEY GATES-1 Witnesses:

M- H. TOPBING JOHN S. THoRNTom 

